Nutrition trends for 2010

Al Behrman, Associated Press

Pumped-up foods fortified with various health-enhancing ingredients may be falling out of favor. The majority of shoppers (88 percent) believe it's more important to eat foods naturally rich in nutrients instead of fortified or enriched, according to Barbara Katz, president of HealthFocus International.The trend is being dubbed "inherently nutritious" or "functionally natural." The new ideal is fresh, less processed, real and authentic. Anything artificial will continue to be challenged.

Pumped-up foods fortified with various health-enhancing ingredients may be falling out of favor. The majority of shoppers (88 percent) believe it's more important to eat foods naturally rich in nutrients instead of fortified or enriched, according to Barbara Katz, president of HealthFocus International.The trend is being dubbed "inherently nutritious" or "functionally natural." The new ideal is fresh, less processed, real and authentic. Anything artificial will continue to be challenged. (Al Behrman, Associated Press)

The year will be defined by the concept of less is more. We'll see this in multiple ways, including less packaging, shorter ingredient lists and more understandable ingredients, said Lynn Dornblaser, a new products analyst at Mintel, a market research firm. She predicts companies will continue to pare down the ingredients in packaged food — a trend that started in 2009 with 42 percent of food and drink categories reducing the number of ingredients per product. A shorter ingredient list was the top 2010 trend identified by readers of http://supermarketguru.com.

The year will be defined by the concept of less is more. We'll see this in multiple ways, including less packaging, shorter ingredient lists and more understandable ingredients, said Lynn Dornblaser, a new products analyst at Mintel, a market research firm. She predicts companies will continue to pare down the ingredients in packaged food — a trend that started in 2009 with 42 percent of food and drink categories reducing the number of ingredients per product. A shorter ingredient list was the top 2010 trend identified by readers of http://supermarketguru.com. (AP file photo)

Out with the old, in with the new. Now that we've officially started the new year, what new nutrition trends will replace the old? What food issues will dominate, and which ones will fade away? Here are our predictions for 2010 — a nutritional forecast of what's hot, what's not. --Janet Helm, special to the Tribune